Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Anthurium andreanum cultivar Gentle Love.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium andreanum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Gentle Lovexe2x80x99.
The new Anthurium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Schipluiden, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact, freely clumping and freely flowering Anthurium cultivars with strong roots, dark green leaves, attractive spathe color, and good inflorescence longevity.
The new Anthurium originated from a cross by the Inventor on Apr. 28, 1998 of a proprietary selection of Anthurium andreanum identified as code number 9603, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Anthurium andreanum identified as code number 9026, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Gentle Love was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Schipluiden, The Netherlands in May, 2000.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by meristem culture in a laboratory in Belgium since May, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Anthurium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The new Anthurium has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the cultivar Gentle Love These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Gentle Lovexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar.
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely clumping growth habit.
3. Durable dark green leaves.
4. Red and green bi-colored spathes with whitish-colored spadices that are positioned slightly above and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes.
5. Freely flowering habit.
6. Good inflorescence longevity.
Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the female parent, the proprietary selection identified as code number 9603. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed from plants of the selection 9603 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Anthurium were not as bushy or dense as plants of the selection 9603.
2. Plants of the new Anthurium and the selection 9603 differed in spathe coloration as plants of the selection 9603 had pink-colored spathes.
Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the male parent, the selection 9026. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed primarily from plants of the selection 9026 in spathe coloration as plants of the selection 9026 had white-colored spathes.
Plants of the new Anthurium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Sugar Love, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,998. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Schipluiden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Anthurium differed from plants of the cultivar Sugar Love in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Anthurium were not as bushy and dense as plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.
2. Plants of the new Anthurium had flatter and darker green-colored leaves than plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.
3. Spathes of plants of the new Anthurium were darker red in color than spathes of plants of the cultivar Sugar Love.